Also, in Saadi v. the United Kingdom Application No. 13229/03 Judgment 2008 the
ECHR held that, detention would not be arbitrary if it meets four conditions: (1)
carried out in good faith; (2) closely connected to the purpose of preventing
unauthorized entry to the country; (3) the place and conditions of detention were
appropriate bearing in mind that the detainee was an asylum seeker rather than a
suspected criminal; (4) the length of the detention did not exceed that reasonably
required for the purpose pursued.
In the present case, the Defendant contends that by virtue of Article 82 (3) of its code
of penal procedure, the identity of every person entering into its territory must be
controlled, with the view to prevent breach of public peace, especially the security
of persons and goods.
The Defendant however admitted that it retained the Plaintiff in compliance with
procedural formalities. This assertion is unclear as to rebut the Plaintiff’s claims.
The Defendant has not led sufficient evidence to disprove the Plaintiff’s allegations.
Neither have they shown that at the time the Plaintiff was stopped at the border for
routine check, they suspected him of any criminal activity that warranted his
detention at the border. The Plaintiff on the other hand did not prove that the said
detention was arbitrary. The onus now lies on the plaintiff to prove that the duration
and manner which it was carried out was arbitrary.
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